Search the Community

Wow, can't believe how quickly this group build has come around! I'd like to enter with this; An (in)famous part of USAFE, controversially based at Greenham Common and Molesworth in the 1980s. It'll be something a bit different to join my USAFE collection anyway! The decision to house US BGM-109G Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise Missiles at UK bases led to huge protests, and especially at Greenham Common, the establishment of a women's peace camp. This actually stayed (in diminishing numbers) until 2000, despite the last missiles leaving in 1991, and the base itself closing two years later. I've not visited Greenham Common yet, but I have been to Molesworth, and a public bridleway borders the former GAMA (GLCM Alert and Maintenance Area), with its large, grass covered bunkers, and watch tower still in place. So, on to the kit. I'm not familiar with Model Collect, but it looks a nice kit. Not particularly common, I picked this up off Ebay for £30, a couple of years ago. Quite a few parts, considering it's 1/72! Some photo etch (eeek!!), which will be a new experience, plus some totally superfluous decals. As the truck is a MAN, I'm guessing Model Collect have done another version that was actually used by the German Army. Nice looking instructions (just a sample here, as they are fairly extensive); So, Greenham Gryphon or Molesworth Missile? Actually it doesn't really matter, as the vehicles carried absolutely no markings whatsoever. What does matter is the MERDC camouflage scheme! I've got quite a few photos of these TELs, which will help a lot. Won't be getting started for a few weeks anyway, as I've got two other GB builds underway, plus we're on holiday for the first two weeks of April!

Hello Everybody! Here is a kit that will please our fellow British modelers (I hope!) fan of the USAFE good ol' days: The Republic F-84F. The kit is a PJ production model, full resin, with some PE parts. Not an easy one, even if the shape and overall proportions are OK. Big caveat is the cockpit, very difficult to fit. So I elected to scratch it completely. Wheels are made of white metal but are too thin and were replaced. Other enhancements were landing gears details and air intake + exhaust. Thanks God documentation is plenty to correct the model. Painting was made with different shades of Alclad II. Not so much weathering, as photos from that era show pretty neat aircrafts. I chose a bird from the 92nd FBS/82 FBW based in Woodbrige-Bentwaters. because of the colorful markings. The little lightings are home made (not so easy!) as well as the squadron insignia. Microscale decal sheet 72-330 provided some they are but largely oversized, more for 1/48 than 1/72. Here are the photos: The real thing: Mine: ...and the little diorama: the Ford F2 pickup is from "F4 Models", all resin and very difficult to build (It takes me hours to have a correct result) and the MD-3 cart comes from "Videoaviation.com", very fine. For the grass, I haven't found the correct one for Bentwaters! That's it, enjoy the photos and as usual, critics most welcome!

Hi, I'm in the process of building a number of East Anglian based Phantoms and am in the painting stages on some of them. One of the machines I'm doing is a 48th TFW F-4D 65-0721 from the Xtradecal sheet. This is one of several aircraft which, for some reason, were finished in the two standard greens plus a rather sickly-looking colour which varies between a pea green or greenish tan in the photos I've seen. In the few places where I've seen it mentioned, it has been stated that the colour is FS 34201, which I have in the paint stash. Before I go ahead, is it known for sure that 34201 is indeed the correct (but wrong!) colour? I can't find anything that really confirms it. Incidentally, two of the 48th TFW options on the Xtradecal sheet show the so-called 3-tone green scheme. I've seen a number of photos of '721 which clearly show that it is in this scheme, but the only photo I can find of the other option (65-0659) whilst serving with the 48th is most certainly in the standard SEA scheme. I have seen photos which show that there were some other machines finished in the 3-tone green scheme, both in the 48th and also 81st TFWs. There's one pic of an ex-48th machine (just before it was sent to Torrejon in Spain) which has had the incorrect green repainted on the tail fin only in the correct 30219, and makes for an interesting subject! Finally, I'm sure I read a while back that the reason for the 3-tone green finish was that the paint was mis-labelled, but I haven't been able to find any further reference to it. I know it doesn't really matter, but I just don't like not knowing! Cheers, Mark. p.s. whilst on the subject of greens, I seem to remember that the old Humbrol Authentic representation of 34079 was darker and slightly bluer than all the more modern representations of this colour, not to mention my FS 595a book. Now, while I know that you shouldn't trust memory or old photos, I have quite vivid memories of seeing a noticeably darker 34079 that looks an awful lot like the old Humbrol Authentic colour and plenty of 70s-era photos tend to back this up. I'm kinda tempted to try to replicate this on at least one of the Phantoms I'll be building, just out of curiosity.

While I wait for a couple of things to finish off the Phantom, I thought I may as well start another kit. I'm still feeling the USAFE thing and after the A-10 and F-4G in Euro 1 I thought I'd go for a grey one this time. Has anyone made this Academy kit, any issues to look out for? Extra decals for the Liberty Wing: Many of us are familiar with Lakenheath's finest, so there should be plenty of refetence shots, I can probably use some of my own ... The instructions call for FS36375 and FS36320. I've matched those to Tamiya sprays AS-26 and AS-25 respectively. However, are these suitable for a 48th FW jet or should they be the newer scheme which I read is FS36176 and FS36251. Were LN Eagles ever the older scheme? I could model it based on the mid-90s rather than as they are today.

Despite being best known for it's part in the air war over Vietnam republic's big fighter did see active service in Europe, that is until losses over South East Asia forced them to re-equip with other aircraft (mostly F-4's) and send their aircraft to units involved in combat. The F-105's were split between two units, the 36th TFW at Bitburg and the 49th TFW at Spangdahlem in Germany and were based there long enough that aircraft could be seen in either the earlier silver lacquer scheme or in the South East Asian scheme but I much prefer the silver scheme (not natural metal but painted, yes!) as it will make a change from seeing a Thud without any camo on it. I don't currently have any markings for either unit but think I can paint the ones for the 36th TFW as it seems to be just coloured bands on the vertical tail, in fact it will look a lot like this F-105D of the same unit, note the "F" sitting behind it; The Thud lovers amongst you will notice that this aircraft does not have the modified engine cooling inlet which is moulded onto the kit's fuselage halves but I think I can remove it without destroying the kit, I will have to remove the wing strengthening panels from the kit whichever scheme I go with as these are only relevant to the "G" model which was the first of the family to be kitted and so these are incorrectly carried over to both the "D" and "F" kits. Below is a picture of an "F" from the 49th TFW; She is in the same basic scheme but I don't think I can replicate the unit badge on the tail, she does however have the modified cooling inlets which would save a job, but would also mean that I need to find some decals from somewhere. Now onto the actual kit itself. For my build I will be using the old but extremely accurate Monogram kit, now I know it's not state of the art and I know it has raised panel lines but it is from Monogram's best period and is extremely accurate shape wise (apart from the aforementioned wing strengthening plates for a "D" or "F") and has a decent cockpit and landing gear wells, and to be honest the panel lines don't bother me as they are very restrained and don't leap out at you. Here are the obligatory shots of the box and it's contents, starting with the box art; Good isn't it, now that is what box art should look like! And now the contents; Republic are quite well represented in this GB already with an F-84F, an RF-84 and now my F-105, can't be a bad thing. Just have to wait for the weekend before I can get started, oh and finish my Wildcat build. Thanks for looking in and any thoughts or help are gratefully received. Craig.

I've recently acquired a bargain Airfix F-111E kit and was wondering if anyone could answer either of the following? If I make the E version OOB, are there any decals with the UH tail code and serial in black? (those in the kit are white). or What would I need to change externally on this kit to make it look like a Lakenheath F-111F? ie what's the difference between an E and an F, visually?

Here is the Airfix 1/72 C-47 when based at Sembach with the 66th TRW. It is not an easy build due to my mistakes (both the build and decals) and some tight tolerances but will have a go at another and avoid the pitfalls. The decals came from XVTonker on here, who produced some decals for USAFE C-47, Furball Decals for the stars and bars and a Scalemaster sheet for the USAF titles. The metal finish was done with Tamiya Aluminium spray can and various panels with Vallejo Metal Color. Robert

This is the ESCI 1/48th 'Bicentennial Phantom' which I started in the F-4 Phantom Group Build well over two years ago. She has been modified and completed as an F-4C serial 64-0864 operated by the 81st TFW out of RAF Woodbridge in 1966. The kit itself is the stock ESCI F-4J with engraved panel lines, this allowed me to complete her as an early F-4C without the radome blister though I should have taken the tail fin trailing blister off as well. The entire cockpit and seats are from a Hasegawa Phantom FG.1 and do nicely bulk out the ESCI pit. The wing tanks are from another ESCI kit and the curved inner wing pylons are from a Revell kit. The kit was painted in the US Navy grey/white scheme with Humbrol satin colours white and light gull grey, lightly sprayed over with Klear, decals added, more Klear, then a home-made wash. The decals were from the Xtradecal X48062 sheet 'USAFE Phantoms Based in England Part 1' and these were augmented by a spare set from a Revell kit. Detailed photos of these early Phantoms are hard to come by and I was left guessing whether there were any walkway markings or not. In the end I compromised and used the lined walkway decals from the Revell kit; probably inaccurate but I think they look good. I wanted to find an interesting weapons mix and after some research I found a photo here http://twinbases.org.uk/photos/81st-aircraft/f4-jc.htm (top photo) which showed an F-4C carrying an SUU-21 Practice Bomb Dispenser, an SUU-23 Gun Pod on the centre pylon, and a LAU-3 Rocket Pod with no fairings on a TER. The SUU-21 was sources from the ESCI F-104C kit, the SUU-23 Gun Pod from a Revell kit and the LAU-3 from the Hasegawa Weapons Set. So, she took well over two years on and mostly off but I am very happy with the results. This is my second ESCI / AMT / Italeri F-4 Phantom and I love the kit, you just have to be a careful with the canopies. Couple of firsts for me here: replacing the cockpit with one from a Hasegawa kit was new - next time I might go for an AM version. Also, this is my first full-on panel line wash and I am converted! Washes for me from now on! Last photo showing the detail of the decals and the panel lines:- Michael